Grave of Disabled Young Woman Reveals Touching Tale of Care in Prehistoric Arizona

archaeologicalnews:

Human remains found buried in downtown Tempe, Arizona, are revealing a touching story about one young woman’s painful life and the community that cared for her more than 800 years ago.

The remains consist of a complete skeleton of a 20 year old woman — one of 172 buried or cremated remains that archaeologists have uncovered while studying a swath of Tempe’s city center to make way for a light rail system.

But the young woman’s grave, referred to as Burial 167, quickly caught the researchers’ attention.

For one thing, her skeleton was severely disfigured, likely from a combination of both congenital and contracted diseases.

And for another, her grave was one of the most richly appointed of all the burials that were studied. Read more.